Electronic apparatuses including video cameras have been recently sophisticated, and the market has been requesting “easy of use”. Business-grade video cameras used in broadcasting stations or production companies, in particular, are operated by monitoring a viewfinder. Thus the operation through blind-touch is expected free from errors.
The operating section of a conventional video camera is described hereinafter. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a conventional electronic apparatus. In FIG. 6, apparatus housing 101 accommodates image-pickup means which picks up an image passing through optical inputting section 102 disposed at the front of housing 101. The image picked up is output as a video signal to outside or stored in memory means such as magnetic tape, optical disc, or semiconductor memory by recording means (not shown) disposed in housing 101. A user who shoots images monitors viewfinder 103 for confirming the images. An upper face of housing 101 retains viewfinder 103 such that viewfinder 103 is projected from a rear face of housing 101. The user's right hand grasps a grip (not shown) prepared on right face 105 of housing 101, and the left hand supports optical input section 102, thereby holding the electronic apparatus. In this case, the user turns a rotary adjusting section 108, such as a focus ring, an iris ring and a zoom ring on optical input section 102 with the left hand for adjusting optical input section while monitoring viewfinder 103 with the right eye. Further, in some instances, the user shifts the left hand slightly this side and uses the thumb to manipulate push-switch cluster 104 prepared on left-side face 106 of housing 101.
The foregoing conventional structure; however, relies on guesswork when a user operates the push-switch cluster 104 because the operation is done through blind-touch, which sometimes makes errors.
In order to overcome this problem, small protrusions are formed on surfaces of the push-switches for users to sense which switch is now touched. However, in an extreme cold site, a user with gloves cannot sense the protrusions and makes errors. Further, there are some cases that an unintentional touch would operate some push-switches.